The DVD-RAM specification describes one example of a high data capacity rewritable optical disc, and devices capable of writing 2.6 gigabytes of data using a mark edge recording method to one side of a 12 cm diameter disc using a phase change recording film are available. Looking to achieve an even higher density optical disc medium, the present inventors have been studying a disc recording method (cf., JP2679596) capable of reducing shifting in the mark edge position as a result of heat interference between marks, a problem with high density recording in phase change optical disc media.
When this disc recording method records data to disc as amorphous marks using a mark edge recording technique, recording is accomplished using a laser beam of plural pulse streams, known as a multipulse beam. Because the size of the recorded marks and the distance of the space between marks is so small in high density recording, the heat of the laser light applied to form a particular mark is also transferred to the marks therebefore and thereafter, causing distortion in the shape of the particular mark and the marks therebefore and thereafter. To prevent this, marks are recorded by precompensating for heat interference between marks by changing the position of the first pulse in the multipulse stream used for pulse formation according to the relationship between the length of a particular mark and the length of the preceding space, and changing the position of the last pulse in the multipulse stream used for pulse formation according to the relationship between the length of the particular mark and the length of the following space. This control of recording pulse position is typically referred to as recording compensation. There are values in the recording pulse parameters (recording compensation parameters) that differ in specific mark and space combinations, resulting in tables such as shown in FIG. 2. The relationship between mark and space positions resulting from the values shown in the tables is shown in FIG. 3.
The recording pulse parameters for accomplishing recording compensation must be prestored to the optical disc or the disc recorder in order to achieve an actual optical disc recording and reproducing apparatus. Plural discs with different characteristics, that is, with different recording pulse parameters, can be used by recording these values to the disc so that the recording device can read the values when the disc is used.